Balz Hawkins
Over the next three days, countless News Coo flew to all corners of the world with a bombshell story: a decision that would change an entire era was made, and people would still remember this day years, decades, or even centuries later!
Buggy and the others did not continue staying at Shakky's Rip-off Bar, but instead checked into a large hotel in the Mangrove District 22.
Lilina pushed open the door to room 304 and walked in carrying a newspaper. "Buggy... Portgas D. Ace has been captured!"
Buggy immediately took the newspaper and began to read it carefully.
"Who is Portgas D. Ace?" Shuma asked curiously, turning around as he gazed out the window.
Lilina explained, "He is the captain of the second division of the Whitebeard Pirates, extremely strong, with a bounty of 500 million Beli!"
"Then... how did he get captured by the Navy?" Mohji and Cabaji exchanged puzzled glances and asked, confused. "Aren't the Navy afraid of offending Whitebeard...? He's one of the Four Emperors, a great pirate who represents an era..."
"The World Government is about to take action. Knowing full well that Whitebeard would never stand idly by while his comrades are killed, they still announced the public execution of Portgas D. Ace..." Lilina paused, "Although it's just a prediction, it's almost certain that the Navy will join forces with the Shichibukai to wage war against the Whitebeard Pirates..."
"Fire Fist Ace was captured by the pirate known as 'Blackbeard,' and the execution took place at Marineford, the Marine Headquarters," Buggy continued, flipping through the newspaper. "You're right, the Marines are prepared this time, and forcing the Whitebeard Pirates into battle is an undeniable fact..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Lilina was suddenly startled, staring at Buggy with wide eyes in disbelief, "... So you knew eight months ago that Fire Fist Ace would be captured... and that the Navy was going to war with the Whitebeard Pirates!"
Not only Lilina, but the others also reacted instantly, their faces filled with shock. This eight-month arduous training... must have been preparation for the war between the two top powers!
How did Captain Buggy foresee this?!
"Don't be surprised. You should know I was a crew member on Pirate King Gol D. Roger's ship, right? I see it more clearly than anyone else: this era can no longer be suppressed... Even if Ace hadn't been captured, someone else would have taken his place. That person could be any one of the Four Emperors' crews... Whoever is captured will be publicly executed because the Navy must declare their presence and military power to the world..." Buggy casually attributed his actions to seniority and vision, "And I was waiting for this opportunity, not the event itself."
Upon hearing Buggy's words, everyone nodded in realization. Yes... Captain Buggy was a member of Gol D. Roger's crew. How could someone who became a member of the Pirate King's crew have the same mindset and vision as an ordinary person!
Of course, Shuma wasn't quite sure, "So... are we going to Marine Headquarters for this?"
"That's right," Buggy replied. "If we had rushed into the New World earlier, we wouldn't have been able to gain a foothold. But participating in this war will bring us huge benefits, making many things much easier in the future..."
"The longer I spend with you, the more admirable qualities I discover in you..." Lilina's eyes sparkled, a hint of emotion in her voice. "I wonder who else but you could have predicted what would happen eight months from now. It all seems so magical..."
Buggy smiled slightly and didn't continue the discussion. "Anyway, I'll have Kitty research and calculate the travel time from here to Marineford. We need an appropriate time to intervene in this war, and you'd better be prepared. However, this matter must be kept secret; don't tell anyone."
Two more days passed, and Ace's public execution did not cause a major uproar on Sabaody Archipelago. Compared to the Navy's decision, the civilians on the island were more concerned about how the Sabaody amusement Paradise incident from a few days ago was being handled. This was the important matter that was closely related to their lives!
Not to mention them, even pirates who spend most of their time at sea rarely understand the significance of this event. They just treat it as a topic of conversation when they're drunk. However, Blackbeard's reputation has spread, and more and more people know that a pirate named Blackbeard captured Fire Fist Ace, the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.
At that moment, Buggy was walking alone on the commoner street of the Mangrove District 28. After walking one street, his eyes twitched, and he looked up ahead. The commoners in front of him knelt down from afar, like waves of wheat in the wind.
"Celestial Dragons..." Buggy thought to himself, then quickly disappeared into a small alley, taking a detour. Provoking Celestial Dragons would be unwise, and he didn't have the inclination to kneel before others, so avoiding them was the best option.
He walked through the alley and onto another street. After walking a little further, another group of people blocked his way.
"I know you..."
The speaker was a man with flowing blond hair and six distinctive vertical lines on his forehead. He was tall and slender, wearing black trousers and a white ruffled shirt. He stood in front of Buggy, calmly looking at the latter. "Bucky, known as the East Blue's Worst Buggy the Clown in the East Blue... Although that was almost a year ago, it seems quite remarkable that you were able to stand out in such a weak East Blue."
"... Magician Balth Hawkins... the Supernovas are coming soon, aren't they? Interesting..."
Buggy's lips slowly curled into a cunning smile. "Yes, I am Buggy. I've heard your divination skills are quite impressive. I have two things I'd like you to divine for me."
"Hmm...?" Hawkins stared blankly at Buggy, then had his men bring over two wooden crates, one laid horizontally as a chair and the other upright as a table. He sat down without any sign of displeasure and said calmly, "What do you want me to divine...?"
Buggy calmly replied, "The first thing is my future fortune."
"Luck..." Hawkins pulled out a tarot deck, casually cut and shuffled it in his hand, then laid it flat on the wooden box table. "Please draw two cards."
Buggy randomly drew two cards and gave them to Hawkins: the third card from the right and the first card from the left.
Hawkins turned over the first tarot card. The front of the card depicted a naked woman holding two white wands. He stared at the card and slowly began, "THE WORLD."